An updated briefing issued by the National Weather Service's Mt. Holly office expects 1-2 inches of rain to begin falling in all of New Jersey on Monday night and last into at least Tuesday morning. There could be some areas with 3-4 inches of rain leading to areas of localized street flooding.

High tide on Monday and Tuesday morning could bring minor coastal flooding. Winds will gust to only 25 MPH making it a non-factor for New Jersey.

Karen will make landfall on the Alabama-Mississippi border on Sunday morning as a weak tropical storm with winds of 40 MPH and drop 3-6 inches of rain across the southeast part of the United States. The storm could strengthen slightly on Saturday night as she tracks north-northwest and be in North Carolina early Tuesday morning

The exact amount of rain we get will be determined by a cold front also approaching. Whatever is left of Karen as she moves closer to New Jersey could get absorbed by the front and lead to heavier rain.

Thanks to our recent run of dry weather river flooding is not expected to be a problem.

The National Hurricane Center reported in the morning that Karen's maximum sustained winds had dropped to 40 mph, making it a weak tropical storm. It was moving north at 10 mph (16 kph), and center forecasters said in their advisory that they expect Karen to decrease in speed later Saturday and turn toward the northeast.

"This is certainly something that you can remain safe in — it's a lot weaker than it was, no chance of it becoming a hurricane — as long as you follow advice from local officials," Rick Knabb, the director of the National Hurricane Center, said.

Coastal authorities closed flood gates along waterways that could be affected by tides driven by the storm. In New Orleans, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continued closing barriers designed to keep surge out of the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal — scene of catastrophic flooding in 2005 when flood walls failed during Hurricane Katrina.

Get the latest on Karen's track and expected effect on New Jersey by texting WEATHER to 89000 for updates.